{Synopsis} – Everybody thinks Tara Doucet has the perfect life. But in reality, Tara’s life is anything but perfect: Her dear Grammy Claire has just passed away, her mother is depressed and distant, and she and her sister Riley can’t seem to agree on anything. But when mysterious and dazzling butterflies begin to follow her around after Grammy Claire’s funeral, Tara just knows in her heart that her grandmother has left her one final mystery to solve.
A strange butler brings Tara and Riley to Grammy Claire’s house, where Tara finds a stack of keys and detailed letters from Grammy Claire herself. Note by note, Tara learns unexpected truths about her grandmother’s life. As the letters grow more ominous and the clues more difficult to decipher, Tara realizes that the secrets she must uncover could lead to mortal danger. And when Tara and Riley are swept away to the beautiful islands of Chuuk to hear their grandmother’s will, Tara discovers the most shocking truth of all — one that will change her life forever.
From Kimberley Griffiths Little comes a magical, breathtaking mystery full of loss and love, family and faith.
{My thoughts} – Tara Doucet is a young girl that has lost her Grammy Claire. Her Grammy Claire was the one person in her life that was there for her and the only person in her family that she truly cared about. The day of her Grammy’s funeral she receives a certified letter from her Grammy. The letter begins a sort of treasure hunt that has keys, and riddles that lead and unlock things that only Tara is meant to understand. Her Grammy was a researcher of Butterflies on the Island of Chuuk. All of the letters that Tara received would emphasize how important her quest was and mostly how dangerous it was.
This whole book is based on this treasure hunt that Tara goes on, she drags her Sister Riley along as well. Although I am sure it was Riley decided to go along since she was left deflated when their father had stood her up and lied about sending her a plane ticket so she could visit him. Their mother is in a state of depression and not in the right mind, so she allows the children to go on this quest with the supervision of Grammy Claire’s attorney and close friend.
It turns out that Grammy Claire’s letters couldn’t have been any more true. The girls needed to save Grammy Claire’s research. They needed to save the butterflies because there were a number of suspects mentioned in Grammy Claire’s letters that told the girls to trust no one. To trust no one at all, because if they would start to trust that their lives too would be in danger. It was really hard for Tara not to trust because most the people she had come into contact with on the island seemed like could people, with good hearts and good intentions. But that doesn’t meant that they did have good hearts and or good intentions.
As the book progresses you get to learn more about Tara and Riley’s father, their mother, their Grammy’s life’s work and the people that their Grammy had known and were friends with on the island. The descriptions of the butterflies and how special they are and how brilliantly wonderful they appear when they are spoke about in the books is just wonderful and breathtaking. I could honestly see a producer turning this book into a movie, it would be just magical.
I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading more books by Miss Little in the future. She is a wonderful author that has a magical way in the use of her words. Her stories without a doubt pull you in until the very end!
Final Conclusion: 5 Star Rating.
